Julian L. Greer, MD, is living her dream by caring for the community where she was raised — and doing so alongside her father and mentor
Photo by Pamela Aquilani
While growing up in Bishopville, Julian L. Greer, MD, first watched her father, Dr. William Greer III, a beloved family physician, struggle to achieve a work/life balance that provided professional fulfillment. “I remember back to when he was working in the typical family practice system; I didn’t see him as much,” said Dr. Greer. “It seemed as if he was always putting out fires, so to speak, rather than having the opportunity to provide genuine care to his patients. I also remember him warning me, saying, ‘You know, medicine’s a really, really tough road.’ He didn’t necessarily recommend it to me at first.”
Those sentiments changed for both when Dr. William Greer chose to pioneer one of the first direct primary care membership practices on the Eastern Shore 15 years ago. By doing so, he eliminated cumbersome restrictions and time-consuming interactions with insurance companies and established a care-focused environment in which patients receive unrestricted access to him and his team, with longer, more meaningful appointments (in person, virtually or by phone) and affordable, transparent costs. The results have literally been life-changing for Dr. William Greer, his patients and Dr. Julian Greer. “I saw his lifestyle change: His work/life balance improved so that he was able to enjoy taking care of patients again,” Dr. Julian Greer said. “I think that’s the whole reason why I went into medicine. I didn’t want to just choose it as a career path because of familiarity. My mom is a nurse as well, so I grew up in a medical family. I eventually chose to pursue medicine as a career when I discovered the fulfillment of the doctor-patient relationship. That special relationship drove my passion for this challenging career path.”
“I’ve been working really hard for a really long time, and I get teared up just thinking about it, but I can’t imagine anything better than working here, in my hometown, and getting to work with my dad, my role model.”
Dr. Julian Greer received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in 2019 and completed her residency in family medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk in 2022, where she was awarded its Intern of the Year in 2020. She has numerous certifications and accolades to her credit, as well as extensive research experience. Dr. Greer is also highly proficient in point-of-care ultrasound examinations and its benefits. She has been a presenter at the World Congress on Ultrasound in Medical Education Conference, and her work related to ultrasound diagnoses has been published twice.
In returning home to join her father’s direct primary care practice in Ocean City, she’s excited for the opportunity to develop the type of rapport and relationships he enjoys with his patients and to provide comprehensive care to its members. “I really want to get to know people and truly help them, not just put a Band-Aid on the situation,” she said. “This style of practice allows us to work on the preventive side of medicine. We can look at situations together with patients, and they really enjoy that. It allows us to provide a higher level of service to them — and that’s what medicine should be all about.”
In working alongside her father, Dr. Greer is fulfilling a lifelong dream to serve her community and do so with her mentor and his talented team. “I can’t believe that everything I could have ever wanted is coming true. I’ve been working really hard for a really long time, and I get teared up just thinking about it, but I can’t imagine anything better than working here, in my hometown, and getting to work with my dad, my role model,” she said. “His staff is awesome. He’s curated a group of people who really care and want to help people. It’s a great team, and I’m excited to join it.”
Dr. Julian Greer began scheduling patients on January 3, 2023. CS
Practice of William Greer III, MD / Ocean City / 410-213-0111 / GreerFamilyPractice.com